A Summer of Love
by strange1
Summary: What happned between Alice and Dana between Season 1 and 2 after the kiss. Here's my take on it. Let me know if you want more please. A bit AU
1. Chapter 1

AN-Something that came to mind. Hope you like it. Set after season one and the infamous kiss.

Alice paced back and forth in her bedroom. Tina was still on her couch attempting to sleep. Neither of them had slept much the past few weeks. Her friend was still thinking about the connection that her partner and everything had without her. For her, it was the thought of the kiss. It had plagued her every thought. It would not stop. It made her entire body ached for the touch of the now infamous tennis star.

The only thing that she wanted was to rush over and once again confess her love. But she would not stop there. She would love to force her way in and tell that bitch to leave her girl alone. There was a part of her that was afraid that Dana did not have the same feelings. What if she really were truly in love with Tanya? Would she deny her happiness simply to gain what she wanted so badly that she could taste it?

There was a noise from the kitchen. The loud sound of glass smashing made her take off. By the time she got there, Tina was on her hands and knees cleaning up the remnants of a wine glass. The blond was trembling. But Alice knew it was not because she was upset about breaking the glass. It was because her heart was shattered like the pieces of glass she was picking up.

"I'll get that." Alice knelt down beside her friend. "You should go and try to get some sleep. You haven't been sleeping all that much as of late."

Tina looked at her friend, a sad smile upon her face. "Well, you haven't been sleeping a lot yourself. I hear you pacing the floor each night. Is there something you want to talk about?" She carefully sat down on the floor and leaned herself against one of the cupboards.

The writer could feel her face burning in an instant. Though she would love someone to confide in, she didn't want to add to what her friend was already going through. "It's nothing. Just having trouble coming up with story ideas, that's all. You're the one I'm worried about not talking. You know any of us are here for you, night or day."

"I know." Tina sighed heavily. "There's not much more I can say about it. She cheated. Plain and simple. That was the one thing that I never thought she would do. We were supposed to be forever. But things somehow fell apart. And I don't even know how. If only…"

"If only you could have seen this coming?" Alice had finished cleaning up the glass. She now sat facing her friend. "And what would have happened then?" She shook her head, not knowing what really to say. "You could have stopped her from cheating. But would you two still have broken up? You have to ask yourself something. And I know you said you didn't know the answer, but the one thing would be, why did she cheat?"

"I don't know!" Tina began to cry nearly hysterically once again. "I wish I knew. I wish I could go back in time! I just want us back together again. I don't know how I'm going to survive without her. I need her!"

Alice quickly came over and enveloped her friend in a big hug. "I wish that it never happened. I wish it for both of you." The two sat in the embrace as Tina poured out every last tear drop she could manage. After a bit, she was almost asleep. "Let me help you." Alice guided her friend to the couch and made sure she was comfortable before retreating into her own world.

It made her ache to see how badly Tina was hurting. Although Bette was the one that cheated, she knew all too well that the pain was mutual. Bette would never forgive herself for hurting Tina so. It was making the young writer think and think hard about life. There were so few opportunities in life to be happy. Was she going to let this one slip away from her?

Quickly, she got dressed. She knew it was late and showing up at Dana's would cause questions. But there was something she had realized while watching Tina breakdown. Happiness was fleeting. If you had a chance at it, you grabbed it by the balls. So, she checked once again to see if Tina were asleep. Finding her friend fast in dream land, she quietly snuck out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

AN-No reviews as of yet but I see I have a couple of readers. I hope you enjoy. I'll update as often as I can. Thanks for supporting me.

Alice sat outside of Dana's house for what seemed like forever. It had not taken this long to get up the courage to kiss her friend and confess her feelings. Of course, she had done it in a kiss and run fashion. That was not the norm of the young writer. Normally, she would make sure of how the other person felt before she just ran off.

This time was different for her. She had truly and madly fallen in love with her best friend. It only made sense that she would develop feelings for her. The two were together constantly. It hadn't been till she saw the tennis player with Tanya that the feelings she felt had come to the surface. Now, she needed to know more than ever if the two could have more than just a simple friendship.

Gathering all the courage she could muster, she slowly made her way up the walk. Alice looked in all the windows and saw a loan figure sitting on the couch in the near dark. The only light was from a scented candle that looked familiar. In fact, she knew it to be the one that she had given to her best friend her birthday before. That had to be a good sign, didn't it?

Alice shook her head and made her way to the door. As gently as she could, she knocked hoping not to wake Tanya. That was the last thing that she wanted to do. Dana looked up from a picture she had been staring at. There was an instant smile on her face when she saw who was standing at her door.

The blond's heart raced as she saw the tennis player slowly moved toward the door. This was not going to be as easy as she had thought it would be and she thought it was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done. Slowly and quietly, Dana opened the door and slipped out onto the porch. Her voice was so low that Alice could barely hear her. "What are you doing here?"

That broke her heart, but Alice just had to go on. She had come this far, there was no turning back. "I think we need to talk. Would you like to come to my car so that we won't wake your neighbors up?" Her face had a hopeful smile on it.

Dana looked up at the window that would be the bedroom she shared with Tanya. Things with her had happened so quickly that if she admitted to herself how she felt, that would be confused and not in love. But she hated to admit when she had made a mistake. "Sure." The two walked to Alice's car in silence. Both got in and closed the doors as quietly as they could. "Do you want to tell me what you were thinking when you kissed me?"

That statement hurt Alice even more. But she knew that Dana was probably putting up a defense. The last thing that her best friend would want to do is to hurt someone. "I thought that would be obvious." When there was no response from the brunette, the blond continued. "I was thinking that it's been a long time in coming. We've been friends forever. And I've loved you since I first saw you. But I didn't realize it till I saw you with her. And I don't like the fact that Tanya is taking advantage of you. All she wants, in my opinion, is an easy ride. She doesn't have real feelings for you."

Dana looked away from her friend. She could not bear to look at her. If she were honest, all that Alice said made sense. But she didn't want to ruin what she had started with Tanya. Or did she? "And you do?" It was a harsh statement, but one that she thought would get the truth out of her friend, she hoped.

"Yes." Alice reached out a hand and gently made Dana look at her. "This is me. I know I'm sometimes out there. I'm the one that's a little unconventional of all of our friends. But you know me well enough by now to know that when I say I love someone, that I truly love them. I don't need to say that to get in your pants. And I don't need to say that for your money. If I need money, you'd help me out in a heartbeat. And let's face it, I'm not the one in general that's hard up for a little sex play. I fall in love with the heart, the soul, and the body."

It took all she had to break away from the blond's grip. She couldn't continue to look into those amazing eyes and be able to keep lying to herself. This was the safe course, the easy course. She had to follow it. There was less chance at getting hurt. "Why now? Is it because you think you'll lose my friendship? Or are you afraid of being alone?"

Alice took a deep breath. She knew this was going to be difficult, but Dana was making it impossible. "I saw you with her. I began to see myself with you. A part of me wants to take out Tanya and make you be with me. But I wouldn't do that to you. I want to see you happy. And as difficult as it is to say, I will do anything to make you happy. That would even be leaving you alone forever and never having anything to do with you. But I hope that you never ask that of me. I'd be lost without you."

Dana turned and looked at her friend. All this time she had truly avoided looking at her. Even when Alice had forced her to look into those eyes, she had tried not to. But now, she took a good look. She could see the love on her face. She could feel the love radiating off from her. It was not simple lust, it was true love. "I don't know if I can give her up yet." Hesitating a moment and taking a deep breath, she reached over and took the hand so willingly offered to her. "But I do know that I don't want to just give up on us, either."

With that, Alice pulled Dana to her. She took her free hand and gently pulled Dana's head toward her till their lips were pressed firmly together. They let each other explore the other's mouth with wandering tongues. Both their breathing picked up. Alice felt a hand on her breast. It made her moan a bit. She freed her hand and began moving toward the place she most desired to be touching. Carefully, she began caressing the outside of Dana's pulsating mound. Already there was a plethora of juices flowing. Alice wanted nothing more than to be inside her lover.

But Dana pushed her back. Both sat there for a moment, words hard to manage because they were breathing so hard. "I want to." She looked at Alice, whose look was that of someone that was truly hurt. "But I can't do this like this." She looked up at the house. There was a smile on her face when she turned back to look at the woman she could so easily fall for in the blink of an eye. "But I'm not saying never. Are you free tomorrow around noon?"

Alice could hardly manage to speak she was so stunned. "Yeah. I'm free anytime that you are, day or night."

"We'll meet at your place. Noon sharp." She leaned in and kissed Alice with a passion she had never felt for another woman. "I want this. I want you."

"I want you to." Another passionate kiss and Dana was out of the car and back into her house in a flash. It was not what Alice truly wanted, if she were honest with herself. But for now, having any part of Dana that would be enough. It would have to be.


	3. Chapter 3

AN-Looks like some of you like this. I hope you do. Thanks for the reviews and any support. Here's the latest chapter. Hope you enjoy.

Twelve noon. It was just a time. It was usually reserved for luncheons or business meetings or the like. But today, twelve noon had a different meaning behind it. For two women, it was something they were so badly lusting after. And yet, was it really what they wanted? Was it really what they should be doing?

Alice had been meticulous about cleaning her apartment. While not exactly a neat freak, she did like her place tidy. But she was having special company today. Not that her company had not been there before. It was not long ago that they had sat in the living room and discussed 'the chart'. There might just be another connection to put on that very chart today.

True, things had gotten a bit hot and heavy as they sat in the car. But things had not gone beyond that. A kiss or two and a longing touch did not count as anything more than foreplay. Alice was so beyond foreplay at the moment. The night had been one of restless sleep as she imagined what lay ahead for her. It was like anticipating the greatest gift you could ever receive for your birthday. This year, hers was coming early.

The buzzer rang and she answered it. As always, Dana was exactly on time. The writer buzzed her friend up and quickly made the last little touches to make the next couple of hours go as she had planned it all night long. It had been a wonderful night of dreaming and hoping and lusting. Again, a night worth giving up some needed sleep.

Alice made her way to the door and opened it. There stood the tennis player in very tight blue jeans and a white blouse with a bit of lace around the neck and at the sleeves. The sight of her immediately took her breath away. It took her a moment to recover and usher her friend in. "Wow, you look amazing."

Dana smiled nervously and sat down on the couch. Awaiting her were two glasses with red wine waiting for her to take a little sip. To calm her nerves, she gulped half of the calming agent down. "Thanks." The tennis player looked over at Alice who still stood by the door. "You can sit next to me you know. Don't have to stare at me. I am touchable."

The thought of her being touchable made Alice remember the feelings she had in the car the previous night. Quickly, she made her way over and took a sip of the wine. "Sorry. I was just checking you out. You look so different. I mean, you look so confident. It's a very good look on you. It's very sexy."

That made Dana blush beat red. "Me? Sexy?" She couldn't help but laugh nervously. It wasn't too long before her glass was empty and she was pouring herself more. "I'm not sexy. I just dress up nice, that's all. Thanks, though."

"You're quite welcome." Alice finished off her glass. She was trying to hold back. After all, Dana didn't have as much experience as she did and she wanted everything to be perfect the first time that they took their friendship to the ultimate level. Being intimate for her was not just about having sex. It was about making a connection.

Another sip and the tennis player put down her glass. She looked into those wonderful and kind eyes of Alice's and she lost it. Her urges got the better of her though part of her knew that she should not be doing this. After all, she was engaged to Tanya. There was a commitment there. But there was Alice in all her wondrous glory.

Nothing could restrain her for long as she literally lunged at Alice. The two sets of lips connected and both felt such an excitement that neither had felt before. Dana had the writer straddled and pushed back on the couch. For a short moment she leaned back and pulled her white blouse onto the floor exposing her bra.

Alice began tracing the bottom edge of the bra until she found the back clasp. With one svelte move, she had the bra unhooked and gentle slid it to the ground with the shirt. Dana pushed Alice's arms back and began to unbutton her shirt. Within seconds, that shirt joined the blouse on the floor. The tennis player swooped in for another passionate kiss while also trying to free Alice's perfect round breast from their nasty captor.

Success meant that there was now a pile of clothing beginning to appear on the floor. Soon, it was joined by jeans and slacks and the final barrier between them was also lying on the floor. Alice pushed Dana onto her back on the couch. She began by teasing Dana's nipples with her teeth and tongue. Slowly, she made her path down to the promised land.

As she entered Dana's quivering mound, she felt an explosion of juices overflowing her tongue. It made her wet just tasting of the sweet nectar. As she moved around inside hitting all the most pleasurable parts, her hands found two willing breasts just waiting to be stroked and massaged. By now, Dana was in a place that was nearly pure ecstasy. As Alice kept moving around inside finding all the right spots, Dana kept building up and building up. Finally, in a nearly violent explosion, the tennis player hit that scanty that not many people know.

Both of the young women were breathing hard by this time. Alice was smiling and glowing knowing she had given the woman she believed she was in love with such pleasure. Dana was barely able to move she felt so good. She had a look of both exhaustion and amazement on her face.

She pulled Alice up to her and began kissing her. As she did, all of her strength was beginning to return. She pushed the writer onto her back. Playfully, she covered Alice's pleasure point with her hand. It made her gasp. It made Dana smile. She rubbed her breasts against Alice's. Then, she decided that there had been enough foreplay.

Her finger found a wet and warm inviting place inside of Alice. There was a moan from both of them. The writer shut her eyes from the instant pleasure she was feeling. Dana continued to move her finger about trying to give her the most intense pleasure she could. That meant also teasing her with her breath upon her neck. It meant sucking gently on her earlobes. It meant taking her nipples in her mouth and sucking hard and softly and teasing with little nibbles as well.

Dana continued to move her finger in and out and around. Alice could feel herself building up. She pulled the tennis player into a passionate kiss. She kept that kiss until after she had released all that had built up inside of her. The two collapsed, Dana on top of Alice breathing hard. Their sweaty bodies were intertwined.

"That was fucking amazing." Alice was gently stroking Dana's hair. Though it was so pleasurable being with her, there was one worry. She knew that they could not keep this up as long as Dana was with Tanya. "I want you to know that I love you. This is more than just a fling for me."

Dana sat up. She looked into those eyes. She could see and feel the love coming from Alice. But it scared her. What if she found someone that truly loved her? There was also Tanya to think about. "Alice, I agree this was amazing. But I'm with Tanya. I don't think we should do this again."

Hurt beyond words, Alice sat there for a few moments. "I knew that you were with Tanya. But I thought, well I hoped that since you agreed to see me like this that you felt the same way I do. Is it so wrong that I love you?"

Quickly, Dana began getting dressed. "You love me like a friend. It's nothing more than that. This was just a big mistake. I'm sorry." With that, she left Alice sitting there.

Tears swelled up in her eyes. There was no way she could now hold them back. They were at a freefall still when Tina came back from wherever she had been. By then, Alice had managed to get dressed and get rid of any evidence of what happened. She wanted to forget it. But it had burned a lasting memory in her mind. The person she loved more than her own life had just said that they could be nothing more than friends. At least that much, right?


	4. Chapter 4

AN-Looks like there are a couple readers for this story. I hope you are enjoying it. I'll keep trying to update. Thanks for any feedback.

Alice had been devastated over the past few weeks. In her heart she had known that it was stupid to confess her feelings for Dana, especially since she had just made a commitment to Tanya. But her heart had told her to go for it. And that was what she always did was to follow her heart. There were times when that was a dangerous thing.

The young writer had managed to keep up appearance for the gang. Tina was struggling to adapt to life without Bette and Bette was punishing herself for the ultimate betrayal she had exercised. The core dynamics were totally out of whack. It had appeared that she had managed to keep her emotions bottled up so that no one had noticed.

Of course, there was always one person that was more observant than the others. There was one person that knew her and knew when she was out of sorts. That used to be Dana, but she was the one causing the emotional stress she was under. The need for someone to talk to was great. But who would she go to if her best friend wanted nothing to do with her physically or emotionally.

Alice was sitting at The Planet having her morning shot of caffeine. In vein she was trying to write her latest article. Her mind was anywhere but on the article she was supposed to have in by the end of the day. Something big would have to happen if she were to meet her deadline. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice when Shane sat down, coffee in tow.

Shane watched carefully as the writer kept typing than deleting words. There was an obvious distraction for her. Having watched her interaction with Dana the past few weeks, the hair dresser had a vague idea of what was happening. Her friend would need a little encouragement to open up about the situation. "Good morning."

The writer jumped and slammed her laptop shut. She reached for her caffeine fix before responding. "Good morning to you too." She set the mug of goodness down and slumped back in her chair. "How long have you been sitting there?"

The hair dresser shrugged her shoulders. "A bit." After no response from her friend, Shane leaned forward against her elbows on the table. "So, are you gonna tell me what's got you so out of whack? I mean, geez Alice, you've been out of it for nearly a month now. Dana hasn't been much better. Is there something going on between you two?"

"What?" Alice began fidgeting nervously in her chair. "Did she tell you there was something up?" After a short pause, she shook her head. "No, she wouldn't do that. After all, she just wants to stay friends. And she doesn't want to ruin things between her and Tanya. Barf much! I mean, what has she got that I haven't got?"

Shane began softly laughing. It was not because of the situation, but because of how Alice was freaking out. "Calm yourself, Alice." She took a sip of her coffee and leaned back in the chair. "You've got to relax somehow. And no, Dana didn't say a word. And before you ask, no one else knows what's going on. But I've seen the looks you've been giving her."

"You have?" Shane nodded. "Figures that you would." Alice leaned against the table, her mind racing with what she should do. If anyone could give her good advice, it would be her Yoda. "I know relationships aren't exactly your specialty, but what do you do when you have an amazing night of sex, feel you're falling in love, and the person rejects the thought that you could be anything more than friends. Granted, she is engaged to the slut bag."

"Easy, Alice." Shane looked Alice straight in the eyes. "If I were you, I wouldn't take no for an answer." She sat back up in her chair. "I've seen looks from Dana as well. If she says she has only friendship feelings for you, than she's full of shit."

"Really?" Shane nodded in the affirmative. "How come you notice these things when no one else does? Never mind. That's not the real answer I'm looking for. I'm trying to figure out how to get Dana to see that Tanya isn't the right person for her. I don't even know if I am. But I do know that I'll treat her right and I'll do everything in my power to make her happy. She's an amazing woman that is still coming into her own. I want to be there when she is able to be the woman that she was meant to be."

"You've got it so bad." Shane's smile was radiant as always. "I understand somewhat where you're coming from. The fact that we've all watched Dana blossom from a shy yet caring woman into an out of the closet self confidant woman has been amazing. But she's taken a step back by being with Tanya, if you ask me. But I say to each their own."

"Great." Alice sighed heavily. She looked like she wanted to cry. But she had already done too much of that. It was time that she took action. She was not one to sit idly by. "Do you think that I should go for it with Dana?"

Shane stood, taking her coffee with her. "That's for you to decide. If you love her enough, you'll fight for her. If you don't, you'll have to try and find a way to stay friends. I've said my peace. I'll keep this on the quiet until you two figure out what you are going to do. Peace out."

"Thanks, Shane. Peace out." Alice watched her friend walk out the door. The talk had helped a great deal. It had put things into perspective for her. She had known all along that she wanted Dana in a physical manner. But Shane was right when she said that only if she truly loved her should she try for something more than friendship. She would have to do something radical if she were to get Dana to see that.

The writer scooped up her laptop and made her way to her apartment. Before anything else, she called Dana and left a message on her cell phone asking her to come by the house. She had said that she wanted to throw the two a bridal shower and wanted to get together, just the two of them, to discuss plans. She had also said that she wanted it to be a surprise for Tanya and to not let her know what was going on.

But Alice had other plans for the evening. She had gone to the store and picked out the sweetest bottle of wine that she could find. Next stop had been to the florist where she picked up a dozen red roses. Cheesy as it was, it felt right. Her next stop had been to get a bracelet for Dana with different charms on them. The first she had picked out was that of a heart. The final stop had been to order a very special dinner for two to be delivered at precisely six that night. It would give her enough time to finish her article and get everything set up for the evening she had planned. If only Dana would come around. If not, she would settle for only friendship after this evening.


	5. Chapter 5

AN-Don't expect me to update quite this often, but I just love writing Alice/Dana. Of course, Alice is my fav character so almost anything to do with her I love. But I couldn't wait to see where the special night took them. Hope you enjoy as well. Thanks for the reviews and support!

The bottle of wine was breathing nicely. Alice had just pulled the cork out as Dana had rang the buzzer to come up. There had been a bit of nervousness about the tennis player's voice. Hopefully it was not in totally trepidation of their evening together. No, more positive thoughts like it was how she had decided to give Tanya the old heave ho. Speaking of hoe's…

Alice smiled to herself and got her mind back on to what she was doing. There was a barely audible tap at the door. "It's open. Let yourself in." Dana walked into the living room and stopped in her tracks when she saw the room. There were candles of all sizes and shapes all over the room giving it a romantic glow. There were two places set for dinner, one with a small box sitting on the plate. "Please, have a seat."

Dana shook her head and sighed heavily. "I thought I made it clear last time that we were together that it was the last time we could be together. I mean, I love you as a friend, Al, but nothing more. You have to get that through your head. I'm with Tanya now. And that's the way that it's got to be."

The writer smiled slyly at her friend, soon to be lover, hopefully. "Look, I just wanted one more evening together without anyone else. But this time, there are no strings attached. I don't want anything but your friendship if that's all you've got to give to me. We've been friends for way too long to mess it up now. One roll in the hay doesn't mean we were in a relationship. We can get past this, if you really want to. But let's just relax. Have dinner and some wine and just be friends like we were in the old days."

Still looking rather reluctant, Dana made her way and sat at the table. The smell of something incredible hit her. She was not sure what it was, but it was making her mouth water. Or could that have been the sight of Alice? Her friend was dressed in a silk light pink pant suit that fit her tight in all the right places. It was sending shivers down her spine. "So, what's on the menu for tonight?"

Alice had been in the kitchen. She brought out the salads first. "Well, me lady, here's the first course. You'll have to wait and see what I have planned for the main course." Although, she was thinking to herself that it should be her. The writer moved the little box to the front of Dana's place setting. That would have to wait until the right moment. She then gently laid down the salad plates and sat down herself. They began eating in silence. "So, how is Tanya doing?"

Dana nearly choked on her bite of salad. Coughing and sipping the red wine, finally she composed herself. "She's fine. More than fine, she's great. You should see what all she's doing for my career. I've never had so many endorsements in my life. It's really amazing."

"Wow. That's so cool." Alice took a sip of the yummy wine. "Of course your hotness and being out has nothing to do with that." After Dana shot her a look, she put up her hands in mock surrender. "Sorry. I really didn't mean anything against your fiancé it's just that I think you have a lot to do with it. She has one hot product to sell. It must be like taking candy from a baby."

The tennis player could not help but smile. It was Alice that always made her feel so good about herself. It was Alice that was always there for her no matter what. Then why shouldn't it be Alice in her bed? The sex had been amazing between the two. Was she in love with her best friend? "Thanks. But I gotta give her a lot of credit too. Dealing with some of those people is not easy."

"Probably not." Alice had finished her salad as had Dana. "Well now it looks like we're ready for the main course." The writer disappeared for a few minutes. The tennis player took the time to open up the little box. There was an instant smile on her face when she saw the bracelet and charm. It was typical Alice. When she heard her coming, Dana tried returning the box to its place but dropped it instead. In a hurry, she bent down to pick it up. In doing so, she smacked her head hard when she tried to sit back up. The table settings shifted a bit and the tennis player quickly straightened everything out as quickly as she could. Her head was immediately pounding she had hit it so hard. Alice entered once again seemingly oblivious to what had just happened to her best friend. "Here we go."

The dinner sitting before her was something she'd never had. It was duck in orange sauce with a side of greens sautéed in a sweet garlic sauce. There were mouth watering rolls and apricots in a special brandy cream sauce. Dana wasn't sure where to start it was all so appetizing. "You really out did yourself this time. No offense, but when did you learn to cook like this?"

"Dana, you've known me for how long?" Alice chuckled softly. "Alice doesn't cook. She orders in. Well, I do cook once in awhile but nothing like this at all. I hope you don't mind the extravagance of it. I know you try and watch what you eat so you can stay in the already amazing shape that you are in. I just wanted to treat you for once."

Dana looked down at the box. She glanced over at the wine. Add that all to the dinner and the candles and the soft music and she knew that Alice had gone all out in both expense and personal touches. Her mind for a moment fluttered back to Tanya who was waiting back at their house together though not really Tanya's house, but her own. Something snapped at that moment inside of her. It was a good kind of snapping, like a realization of something. She didn't love Tanya. She never had. Her heart, like the little charm on the bracelet belonged to Alice.

Taking a sip of wine before speaking to help gather her courage, Dana looked directly into Alice's amazing eyes. "I don't love her." It was straight and clear and to the point. That was what she needed now. There was no need of playing games anymore like she had been with Tanya. The tennis player wanted to have her first real relationship, her first real love.

"I kinda gather that when I asked how Tanya was and all you had to say was how much she'd done for your career." Slowly, the writer inched closer to her friend. "And it's great that she has done so much. But what you need is someone that loves you and only you. They aren't there to also get a better connection. I wouldn't be surprised if she left you for the next big fish out there. Someone who could take her higher. You take me to a high that I can't even describe. When we made love, I was in awe of how fucking amazing it felt. No one has done the things to me that you did. No one."

"I agree." Dana took the little box in her hand and took the bracelet out and placed it on her left wrist. "I take this to be a symbol of your love for me. And I want you to know something, I think I'm falling in love with you."Alice moved to kiss her but Dana held up her hands. "I want to make love to you tonight, I really do. And I want to spend the night. I want to be near you always. But, I have to break this off with Tanya. Can you wait till then?"

"I'd wait forever, if that's what it took." Alice was glowing like she never had before. Finally, she felt that she was finding true love. Dana was someone she could picture spending the rest of her life with. If waiting for a week or two was the price to pay than she'd be only too happy to wait. But it would drive her nuts in the meantime. And of course, how exactly was Tanya going to take the news?


	6. Chapter 6

AN-Glad that you like the little bit of humor injected into the piece. I give total credit to my better half. She's the one that suggested it and helped me incorporate into the story. Thank goodness she loves reading my trite because it had added more to my stories, I think. Anyways, thanks for the reviews. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

Dana was dreading what she had to do. But she knew it had to be done. And not just because of what had happened with Alice, either. Things had felt so rushed when she and Tanya had gotten together. It was such a short time after Lara and she had broken up that the tennis player was not sure if she had let herself heal from the breakup.

If truth be told, she was afraid that the same thing might happen between her and Alice if things got too hot and heavy too quickly. They'd already slept together, but that was where they had left things, a one night stand that could lead to more. Of course, her best friend had already professed her love. That was something Dana was not sure she was ready for.

Sighing heavily, she made her way into the living room of the house that she shared with Tanya. Sitting on the mantle was the picture of her poor dearly departed kitty. It was still so sudden and shocking how he had died. But that was life, she supposed. No one ever knew how long they had on earth. That was why she was going to live her life to the fullest and to the happiest extent that she could.

"Hey, Babe." Tanya came up from behind her and sat on the couch. "I didn't hear you come in last night. You've been spending a lot of time away from me as of late. That has got to stop. I need my Dana fix." She leaned in and kissed her partner on the lips. When she did not get the response that she had been expecting, she looked at her girlfriend a little more closely. "Is there something wrong? Did I do something wrong? If I did, I can fix it or not do it again. Just let me know, Babe."

Dana tried to smile a bit but her emotions were getting the better of her. There was a fear building up inside of her. She was not sure what to contribute it to other than the thought of being the one to hurt someone else. "We have to talk. Before you say anything, you haven't done anything wrong. In fact, you are an amazing person who has done so much for me both emotionally after how distraught I was after breaking up with Lara and with my career. I'm more grateful for what you've done for me as a lover." She paused a moment to let her thoughts collect. So many things going through her head that she was having trouble putting into words what she wanted to say. "I don't feel the same as you do about me. I like you, a lot. But when I agreed to marry you, I was still confused by my emotions. I mistook being in love for being grateful for showing me there is a world beyond the hurt."

After several moments of silence, Tanya stood and faced her now former fiancé. "I see." She walked over to the window and let the warm morning sun fall upon her face. "Are you sure that's the real reason that you are breaking up with me?" She turned back to face Dana, a look upon her face that instantly sent shivers of fear up and down the other woman's spine. "You see, I think this has more to do with Alice than it does with me."

The tennis player stood quickly and made her way to stand in front of her now ex girlfriend. "Don't be silly. I've been thinking about this for the past two weeks. As happy has I've been, it just doesn't feel like I'm totally in love with you and that I would want to spend the rest of my life with you. You are a great person and will make some lucky woman very happy. It's just not me, that's all."

Tanya began laughing. "You are quite the actress, I'll give you that." She stepped so that she was within an inch of Dana. The tennis player tried to back off further, but Tanya grabbed her by the wrist. "You had your say, now it's time I have mine. I wasn't going to say anything, but I know you've been spending a lot of time with Alice lately. I know where you were last night because I followed you there. It's true that you didn't sleep with her, at least not last night. But I'm not so sure you didn't cheat on me. No one cheats on me and gets away with it."

Dana pulled hard to get her wrist away from her crazy ex. There was visible mark on her wrist from where it had been held so hard. "Listen, I'm sorry that I hurt you. But I did not mean to. Things just happened. Like I said, I never really wanted to marry you. I was just falling into a trap because you made me feel so good."

Another laugh, bordering on the verge of hysterics, escaped Tanya. "You keep saying you didn't plan this. You keep saying you don't mean to hurt me. Yet, you keep saying that you never loved me and that you never wanted to be with me. You are an abuser and a user. I will make sure everyone knows the kind of person you are. Oh, and tell Alice she better watch her back. She maybe the next one that gets hurt." With that, she stormed out of the room.

Fear washed over the tennis player in an instant. This was not how she had wanted things to go. Had she really been that harsh in how she had said she had felt? Or was Tanya just an emotional wreck. Perhaps she was even bordering on crazy. It terrified her to think of just how far she would go to hurt someone that had hurt her. That would mean that she thought Alice deserved some kind of punishment.

Dana rushed for the phone tripping over the couch. She limped for the stand that held the phone. It took her several tries to dial Alice's cell phone. When there was no answer she left a frantic message. "Hey Al, I don't know for sure but I think Tanya may go after you. She didn't take the breakup well. In fact, I think she was threatening both me and you in a way. So be careful and watch out. Let me know when you get this. Please."

Alice had thought she heard her cell phone ring but she was busy in the shower. In fact, she was still in the bathroom when her buzzer went off. Throwing on her old beat up terry cloth robe, she answered the page. When she heard Tanya's voice on the other end, her first thoughts were that something was wrong with Dana so she immediately buzzed her in.

A few minutes later, she was opening the door to who she thought was Dana's fiancé. But the look on her face told the writer that the cat was out of the bag and that there could be real trouble. "Hello Alice." Tanya pushed her way past the woman. "So, it seems that we have something in common. We both love Dana. And gee, who did she pick?" She spun around to face the writer who was still perched by the door. "You of course. But why? Am I not loveable? Am I beneath you two? Tell me, will you my dear Alice. I'd really like to know what's going on in your life because it seems to now very strongly affect me!"

"I'm sorry if we hurt you." Alice inched closer to the open door, ready to bolt. "It's not Dana's fault, it's mine. I'm the one that kissed her first and told her that I loved her. I'm the one that pushed her to do this. So, blame me if you are going to blame anyone for falling in love. But you of all people should know you can't help who you fall in love with."

"I do blame you." Tanya slowly started for Alice. "That's why you're going to be the one that I punish first." An insane grin plastered itself on her face. "Tell you what. Unlike you, I'll give you a head's up. You can start running now. And praying." With that, Alice was out the door with Tanya close on her heals.


	7. Chapter 7

AN-Thanks again for reviews. Makes me blush. Any comments or suggestions are always welcome. Hope you keep enjoying.

Fear was pulsating through every fiber of Alice's being. There had been hard breakups for her in the past, but this was ridiculous. Dana was worth fighting for but literally? Her breath was already starting to burn as she had to make her way through several obstacles to get to her mini. And then, of course, it dawned on her. No keys!

Her heart skipped several beats at the realization that she was now trapped on the streets in her bathrobe with a lunatic after her. She hadn't even thought to bring her cell phone. Of course, she had not had much time to think at all. At first, she had hoped it was Dana. Then, she realized that her life was in real danger. The look on Tanya's face was enough to give her a heart attack.

Screeching of tires drew her attention. That beautiful radiant face was looking at her with such a terrified look on her face. Immediately, the writer bolted for the safety of the car. From behind her, she could hear footfalls. "Hurry Alice! She's right behind you!" Not needing anymore encouragement, she took off and jumped into the back seat of Dana's car. "Are you all right?"

Alice looked up from the back seat. She was still lying on her side. "Are you nuts? No, I'm not all right. My life was just threatened." After seeing the look on Dana's face, she immediately regretted saying it that sharply. "Sorry. I know you were just asking if I was physically hurt. I'm fine. I don't know if I would have been if you hadn't shown up."

That softened Dana's face into a faint smile. "I know. I tried calling but you didn't answer either of your phones. I can't tell you what was going through my mind. When she said…" Chills ran up and down her spine just thinking of it. "I'm not sure we're safe just yet. I don't see her car but who knows what she's thinking."

"That's for damn sure." Alice finally was getting her breathing back to a relative normal. She sighed heavily and tried to think what their next move should be. "We're not going to be safe at your place, at least not till we get this settled. I say we go to Shane's. I know she has tons of roommates but it's the safest place I think. Besides, she kinda already knows about us."

"What?" Dana's voice was a bit shrill. "You told her?" She shook her head and as she turned the corner, tires squealing. "I can't believe this, Alice. I told you I needed some time and what do you do? You go and blab it to the first person we see. Thanks a lot."

"Whoa, hold up there superstar." Alice had managed to cover herself back up and was now in an upright sitting position. "First of all, I didn't exactly tell Shane. She guessed for herself. Second of all, I needed someone to talk to. Usually you would have been the first person I talked to since you are my best friend. But it's kinda hard to talk to you about you and me together. Especially when you were waffling quite a bit there."

Dana slammed on the breaks. They were outside of Shane's apartment. The hair dresser was just coming out the door when she saw the two of them in the car with looks on their faces that she could only guess were fear. She was by the car in a heartbeat. "What's going on?" She looked from Dana to Alice.

"Her ex girlfriend is a psycho." Alice felt the glare from the front seat. "Sorry, but she threatened both you and me and showed up at my place looking like she was ready to kill. What would you call her?" When Dana sat in silence, she continued. "We need a place to hide out for an hour or two until we can call the cops. Not that they'll do any good. Probably say it's some kind of domestic thing and can't help."

"Well, you two are in luck. Everyone is gone for the day." Shane looked at Dana who seemed to be taking this all in stride. That scared her more than anything. "What about Tina? Have you warned her yet?"

"Fuck!" Alice was angry at herself for forgetting her friend. "No. And I don't have my cell phone. Can you call her and see if she is all right? Man, I hope she doesn't show up and Tanya comes back."

"I'll do that. And if I get no answer than I'll go there myself."Shane tried to smile but the situation was just too serious. "I know you can't, but relax in there. None of my roommates will be back until at least five. Alice, you can borrow some of my clothes. Figure you will want to be dressed when the cops get here."

"Thanks, Shane." After handing Alice her key, Shane pulled out her phone and was practically running to her car. The writer looked up at Dana whose hands were still tightly grasped to the steering wheel. "Come on, you. We should probably get off the street. I don't know about you but I could use a drink."

Finally, some of the tension released from Dana's body and she was able to let go of the steering wheel. Quickly, they made their way into Shane's apartment and found the room that she shared with another girl. Alice found some somewhat comfortable clothes while Dana made the call to the police.

"Five hours!" Dana came in and slammed herself onto the bed. "They won't come here for five fucking hours because they consider it non life threatening! What, you have to be bleeding all over the floor and about to die before they'll give a damn about you! They can all go fuck themselves."

Alice had never heard Dana talk like that before. Of course, she knew it was out of pure fear and couldn't blame her one bit. The fear inside of her was building as well. Nothing like this had ever happened and she wasn't exactly sure how to go about her life. One thought crossed her mind but she figured that both were too scared. The writer made her way and lay next to her girlfriend. "It'll be all right, I promise." She gently kissed her on the back of the neck.

"How do you know that?" Dana sighed heavily. Alice's touch was like lightning upon her skin. It was ever so slightly making her forget about what was happening in their lives. She kissed Alice gently on the neck. Her lips were hovering just about the skin. "Are you a mind reader? Do you really think the police are going to take our complaint seriously?"

Alice shrugged. It was all she could do to keep from planting kisses up and down Dana's back. All she wanted to do was to make her feel better. How was going to be the question. "Fuck you!"

Dana looked at Alice, a hunger in her eyes. "No, let me fuck you."


	8. Chapter 8

AN-Sorry been so long since I updated. Hope you are still enjoying my story. I'll try and keep updating often. Let me know what you think. Thanks all.

Alice saw a hunger in Dana's eyes that she had never seen before. There was a fear in them as well. The fact that they had to wait so long for the cops was unreal. But there was the fact that Tanya was still out there doing who knows what. The bitch was definitely short a little on the brain power.

The tennis player literally threw the writer onto the bed. This surprised Alice a great deal. It was unusual to see her as aggressive as she was being. It turned her on even more so if that was possible. In a heartbeat, Dana had the clothes that Alice had borrowed from Shane back on the floor. She herself had stripped to nothing but her birthday suit. She smiled big as she took in the look on her girlfriend's face. It was one of pure shock.

"Now you have to relax and do everything I say." Alice simply nodded a bit dumbfounded by the way that Dana was acting. A part of her was loving it more than she could say. "Good. On your stomach." When the writer hesitated, Dana got more forceful. "Now!" It took only a second for Alice to comply.

Dana lay next to her and began running her hands over every square inch of Alice's body. She could feel the shudders of pleasure, especially when she teased the back of her neck and the back of her knees. It made her wet thinking of how much pleasure she was about to give the other woman.

Next she leaned herself closer and breathed softly on Alice's neck making her jump. She began by nibbling on her earlobes and completely covering the writer's backside with tiny kisses. Gently, she caressed every exposed area of skin with her tongue. Out of breath, she forced Alice to turn over on her back.

A smile of pure evil was again on her face. All Alice could do was swallow hard and anticipate what was to happen next. First, she found her neck being nuzzled by many thousands of kisses. It curled her toes there was so much pleasure involved. Again, her earlobes were getting nibbled on. It sent a jolt right to her pleasure spot. All this time, hands were roaming up and down her body.

When those hands found her quivering mound, she almost lost it right there. But Dana pulled back and let Alice know that it was going to be longer than that. Next, Alice could feel her breast being sucked on. The nipples were played with and nibbled on. There was so much pleasure as one free hand kept roaming and finding all the most pleasurable spots.

By this time, Alice could hardly breathe. All she wanted was to have that sweet release. But her girlfriend was taking her time and making it the most amazing sex she could ever remember. Finally, kisses trailed from her breast down to the place that was screaming out loud to be touched. She needed Dana inside of her and now. But she knew it was all up to her girl to do what she wanted and when.

That was when she felt this explosion of pleasure throughout her entire body as Dana slowly slid her tongue inside. For someone who had not been in many relationships over the years, she certainly knew how to pleasure a woman. The way that she swirled her tongue around making tiny little circles was driving her insane.

All the time, Dana's hands never left her breasts. They were massaging gently and then grabbing and squeezing like there was no tomorrow. That heightened what was going on inside of the writer to an extreme that could not be described by words. Finally, Dana quit playing around and found that pleasure point.

Slowly at first, she could feel the tongue thrusting in and out. As she could feel herself building up, the speed built. It was at a dizzying pace when suddenly, Dana stopped altogether. It frustrated and exhilarated her at the same time. Again, the tongue was in and out hitting just the right spot. Faster and faster until Alice could not help it anymore. She let it all out in a scream that the entire neighborhood was sure to have heard.

Dana rubbed her body slowly against Alice's as she made her way up to kiss inviting lips. The two stayed spooned for the longest of times, neither one wanting to speak. Finally, it was Alice that found her breath. How, she was not so sure. "That was fucking amazing. You are fucking amazing!"

The tennis player shrugged. "I just do what I would want done to me. I just hope that you liked it." She looked into eyes that were sparkling. "You don't have to say a word. I can see in your eyes how much you liked it. I know, loved it. I think for the first time I'm not just fucking by I was making love to you. It was different."

Alice smiled so big. It was what she had wanted to hear out of Dana for the past few weeks more than anything. It was the greatest way that she could say that she loved her. "I agree. I've thought I've been in love before but it's never been like this for me either. I can't even describe how you made me feel. It was, amazing. So inadequate, but that's all I can say."

Dana smiled at the thought of herself being so amazing in bed. "I don't think I'll ever be able to feel like this again. I get the best of both worlds with you. I get someone I've known for what seems like forever and is my best friend. And I get someone I love with all my heart and soul. You and I, I think we can be forever."

Those were words Alice never in a million years thought she would be hearing from Dana. They brought little tears to her eyes. "I feel the same. I mean, I want you in my life forever no matter what. And I think we can be this amazing super couple or something. I hope we can be even better than Bette and Tina were."

Just then, there was a pounding on the door. "Police." Both fell out of bed and tried to get dressed as quickly as they could. Their arms got entangled and fell to the floor with a thud. When finally they got dressed, they stood up at the same moment and banged heads together. Finally, they were at the door. Dana opened it so quickly that she hit herself in the head. "Are you all right ma'am?"

Dana blinked and nodded. "Thank goodness you are here." She moved out of the way and let them come in. "My ex girlfriend went nuts on us when I tried to break up with her. She threatened both me and my new girlfriend." The two officers looked at other, one rolling his eyes. "Look, we have a legitimate complaint here. She's dangerous. She came after Alice without any real cause."

"Just give us the facts, ma'am." The officer took out his notebook. "If there's been no physical violence the best we can do is help you to issue a restraining order. I'm afraid it's classified as a domestic dispute otherwise."

Alice sighed heavily. She had been afraid this was going to happen. What was to stop Tanya from just walking up to either one of them? A restraining order was simply a piece of paper that held no authority. After having just felt the best she ever had, she now felt a fear that could not be described. It was only a matter of time before Tanya waltzed right through that restraining order and did something that neither of them could even imagine.


	9. Chapter 9

AN-Hope you enjoy the latest chapter of the adventure of Alice and Dana. Still a great couple. Thanks for any feedback. And on with the show…

It had been two days of sheer torture for the newest couple. There had been so many scares that neither of them wanted to leave Alice's apartment. At least she had the buzzer system. Of course, Tanya had gotten around that the last time. It was frustrating not knowing what was going to happen next. They were also grateful that Bette had moved Tina into a little apartment so that she was safe from the craziness of everything.

The strain of not knowing was starting to take a toll on their fledgling relationship. There had been many little arguments. But that always lead to making up which was a very good thing. The two lay snuggled in bed after having the best makeup sex yet! Unfortunately if things continued, both knew that it would not be the last makeup sex they would have.

Dana had her head on Alice's chest. She was making small little circles on her lover's belly. Her mind had been clear for a few moments only thinking about how good it felt to be touched by the writer. It seemed that Alice knew all the right places and all the right ways to touch her. She had never in her life been so completely satisfied sexually by another woman.

Alice was letting the intoxicating smell of Dana's hair try and clear her mind once again. The only time that she didn't think about the situation was when she was in her lover's arms. It wasn't even just how good the sex was. It was how complete she felt. It terrified her to think how broken she could be if something were to happen to her new lover. That was a thought she tried to shove to the back of her mind. But it just kept coming back and coming back.

Both were startled by the buzzing of the door bell. Alice quickly got up causing Dana to land with a thud on the floor. "Sorry. Was startled by the bell." She quickly got on her trusty fuzzy bathrobe. The door was still latched thankfully. She squinted and looked out the peep hole. There was no one there that she could see. "Wonder if they got the wrong place."

"I don't think I did." The voice sent instant chills up and down the writer's spine. Alice once again looked out the tiny hole and saw a scary sight indeed. Tanya was standing there in a lacy white wedding gown. "Now, I know it's short notice but you're invited to a wedding. Only if you can behave this time Alice. Now, let me see my bride!"

Alice took off like a shot into the bedroom and bolted the door there as well. She huddled up with Dana on the bed. "It's her!" They were both shaking as the writer grabbed for the phone. Instantly she was put on hold seeing that in the eyes of the law it was not an emergency. "You really do have to be bleeding or already dead for these damn cops to give a damn." That was when she heard the door being busted open. "Oh shit!" There was a voice on the other line and she, in a panic, told them what was going on. They told her to sit tight.

"Sit tight?" Dana stood up and threw on some clothes. She made her way to the door and braced herself against it not trusting the little lock. "We're being attacked by a mad woman and all they have the nerve to say is to sit tight? This is getting ridiculous." Alice joined her on the floor. "I want to be with you but at what cost? If I'm putting your life in danger because my ex can't take hell no for an answer than is it really worth it?"

"I hear you!" Tanya sounded maniacal now. "I'm going to get you my pretties and your little kitten too. Oops, did that already. Hehehehehehe! Now it's time to get you two! I will have what's mine. I won't be denied." There was a pounding on the door. Both were shoved a bit forward by the door. "Tanya always gets what Tanya wants."

Alice braced herself a little better against the door hoping that would work. "This is so not the time to talk about it but if you're going to get all stupid on me than I have to talk about it. I don't give a shit if we're being stalked. I don't care if someone won't take the fucking hint that it's over and that you've moved on. I've found my one and true love. I'll stand and fight against anyone or anything to keep it."Her voice rose a bit. "You hear me you crazy bitch! She's mine and I'll do what it takes to keep her."

"You only think you will." Both screamed as the first whack of an axe made its way nearly clean through the door. "But I'm more powerful than either of you are. I can do whatever I want. And I'll get away with it. Now, just open the door and Tanya won't have to ruin anything more in your nice apartment, Alice."

"Fuck off!" Dana shot a look at Alice asking if she were crazy. "I'm not going to take this shit anymore. I mean, true she's scary and has an axe and all. But I'm sure as hell not going to be told that I'm not worthy of you. I've lived my entire life searching for that one person that just makes me whole. Now that I've found you I'm not about to let you go. You hear me psycho bitch!"

"I hear you. But you better listen to this." That was when three or four more whacks of the axe found their intended target. It sent splinters flying everywhere. The two young lovers had no choice but to get out of the way of the door and the axe now. "So, now you are out of the way." Tanya laughed hysterically. "I'll make sure it's permanent."

Just as the crazy woman was about to swing the axe in Alice's direction two shots rang out. There was a look of shock on Tanya's face as she dropped first to her knees. She looked down at the blood pouring from her chest. She then looked at Dana and smiled. Her last efforts were to reach out toward the tennis player who simply backed up even further into Alice's tight grasp.

"Are you two all right?" The female officer was by their side. "Is that any of your blood or just the suspects?"

Dana looked at Alice carefully. "It's just hers. Her name is, er, was Tanya. She was my ex. We had a restraining order against her. She came this morning. Still, she wouldn't take no for an answer. Is she…?"

"Yes." The officer actually had sympathy on her face. "I'm sorry that it took getting nearly killed before we could actually do anything. The law is not always the best of things. But I do believe it works out in the end. Now, this place is going to be off limits for a few days. Do you two have anyplace else you could go to?"

Dana nodded. "My place. You already have that information in the complaint. If you need more, I'll be happy to give it to you. Can we get dressed or will that be off limits too?"

"You can take whatever you need. Just let me or my partner know so we can log it all." The officer took a deep breath. "Again, my deepest sympathies." With that, the officer left the two to get dressed.

"It's over." Alice finally broke out of her shock. "I can't believe she's dead. I mean, I had wished it sorta. But I wouldn't have wanted it like this. I just wanted to be alone and happy and to be able to celebrate our new relationship with our friends. Why did she have to make it go like this? Why?"

Dana quickly wrapped her arms around her lover. "We'll never know why she was the way that she was. Just think, now we are free. Totally and completely free. We'll be able to start our lives together the way we were meant to. And that means letting all of our friends in on how we feel about one another. We love each other more than life itself. And we nearly had to lose our lives just to have that love." The two held each other for a moment before quickly getting washed up and dressed. Alice was never going to go back to her place again. But she at least had the one thing she wanted so desperately in her life. Hopefully their love could stand the tests of time.


	10. Chapter 10

AN-No feedback in awhile. That's OK. Just writing to see my fav couple live on. Hope you enjoy.

The nightmare was finally over. Tanya had met a fate that neither Dana nor Alice would have wished upon her. Had they wanted her out of their lives? Of course! But not at the expense of a human life. There could have been some other way that Tanya could have gotten the help that she so desperately needed. That would have been enough for the newest couple.

The police had not been easy to deal with either. But they had finally gotten it across that Tanya had been unstable and they had just wished that she had left them alone. Having an axe in her position pretty much cemented their argument. And poor Mr. P! Alice had suspected all along that the crazy bitch had something to do with the untimely demise of the poor kitty. But she'd had no solid proof.

They now sat together in Dana's apartment. Alice was in the process of getting her apartment cleaned and she was going to sublet it for the remainder of her lease. Bette had found an apartment for Tina. As for the writer she was staying with her girlfriend. Life had not been this good for her in a long time. Of course, it all had to come out of the terrible tragedy.

"Dana." The tennis player looked at her, the stare a bit blank. "Are you all right?" She was asking for what seemed liked the millionth time that day alone. Every time she asked all the response that she got was she was fine and everything was hunky dory. Yet the tennis player had yet to even kiss her since it had all taken place.

"I'm fine, Alice." Dana stood and made her way to the bar. It was only ten in the morning yet this was her third martini. "I was the cause of taking a life but I'm just peachy keen. My life is just so wonderful. I hope yours is too." She then turned her back on her girlfriend. It was hard to look at her without seeing what happened. Over and over again it flowed through her mind.

Alice was by her side in an instant. But her girlfriend pulled away the instant that she touched her. It was another nightmare happening before her very eyes. "Why won't you let me comfort you? I'm the one that loves you, remember. I'm the one that has stood by you no matter what. Please, talk to me about how you are feeling."

Dana turned on a dime and put some space between the two women. "You want to know how I'm feeling. I murdered someone! Did I pull the trigger myself? No, but I might as well have.

Someone is rotting six feet under because they loved me that much and all I could do is cheat on them and hurt them beyond words. So much so that they lost touch with reality. So, how the fuck do you think I'm feeling?"

The writer tried to close the distance but again Dana moved away from her. "I'm not so sure you are feeling anything. You've been pickled since we got back from the police station. I can't blame you for wanting not to feel but you are taking this to an extreme. You are going to hurt yourself if you keep this up. I'm just trying to be here for you and tell you how much I love you."

"And that's where it all started." Dana had inhaled her latest beverage and had turned to fix herself another. Already her voice was beginning to become slurred. "Had you not suddenly decided that you loved me when you had all the time in the world before I met Tanya than none of this would have happened. As much as I blame myself, I think I blame you even more."

"What?" Alice could feel a bit of anger rising inside of herself. She tried to back it down as she knew that Dana was letting the booze and the pain talk for her. At least, that was what she was telling herself. "I've been nothing but supportive. I admit that my timing stunk. Had I realized sooner we might not have gone through what we did. But seeing you with her just drove me crazy. It made me realize how I'd felt all along. I was willing to back off if you remember correctly."

Dana tossed back the fourth martini. "Back off? Really? Is that what you call it?" She shook her fist causing the glass to hit her in the nose. There was a steady stream of blood in an instant running down her face. As she turned to get a towel, she tripped and fell head first onto the hard bare floor. She looked up at Alice with a helpless look on her face.

Alice sighed heavily and quickly got a towel to help clean up her girlfriend. She gently applied pressure to her nose and sat her up carefully. There was going to be a black and blue mark on her eye. "Our friends are going to think I beat you or something." She again sighed. "Listen, Dana. I mean it when I say I love you. If you need someone to take out your anger and frustration on let it be me. I'll never leave you."

The tennis player slowly let loose with a steady stream of tears. She began crying so hard that she was literally convulsing in Alice's arms. "I'm sorry." It was all she could do to say those simple words. Her whole body was shaking. It was because of what had happened the past week or so. She'd never let it sink in what was happening with Tanya. Now, it was all happening at once in her mind. "You don't deserve this."

"You're right." Alice let go of the towel to see that the bleeding had stopped. "But I wouldn't be anywhere else right now. We both need time to heal over this. I mean, I can still feel the blood spatter from…" She trailed off not wanting to go there. "And it's not because I'm now covered with your blood either. I hate to think about all that happened yet if I don't I'm afraid I'll go even crazier than trying to block it. If that makes any sense."

"It could be just a possible concussion but it makes perfect sense." Alice pulled Dana into a tight embrace. "All I can see is the crazy look on her face as she was about to swing that axe at you. Then there was that loud sound. And just like that, we were free from her. And that's all I could think about. Not that a human being had just lost their life but that we were safe and could now be free to be together. And yet, now, it doesn't feel right the price that had to be paid."

"Shhh." Alice leaned down and kissed her wonderful girlfriend on the forehead. "Just remember that we cannot help what other people think or do. We can only control what we think and do. Were we perfect in how we went about things? Probably not. But everyone makes mistakes. I think that all that matters is that we're together and that neither of us is hurt. If we'd been able, we would have wanted her alive. But now, we're free. And we've got to make the most of that. 

We can't live our lives in the what if stages. We'll keep her memory, the good ones and try and forget what she tried to do."

Dana looked up into loving and caring eyes. They had been through hell yet Alice kept that optimistic outlook she always had. That was one way that the two were nearly like night and day. But she knew in her heart that her girlfriend was right. They had been through more than most couples are in a life time. And here they were still together. It was time to begin living slowly one day at a time. Hopefully the trauma would not keep haunting her the rest of her life. Hopefully she could put it all behind her and enjoy her life with Alice. Hopefully.


	11. Chapter 11

AN-Sorry for delays in updates. Still liking this story very much. Hope I can update more often in the near future. Thanks for the feedback. Hope you enjoy.

Sweat was pouring down Dana's entire body. It was as if she had gone through ten of the torturous workouts her trainer normally made her do. But she was nowhere near the court. In fact, she was still lying in bed as now had become the custom. There were days when she never got out of bed. Today it was nearing four in the afternoon and still she lay there dreaming. Dreaming of events that should have long ago been forgotten.

The past few weeks had been unkind to Dana and Alice. There had been so many follow-ups with the police that memories could not fade. In fact, they were now all that went through the tennis player's mind. In some ways the young woman kept blaming the writer for all that had happened. Had she not said those words then she might not have realized that she had similar feelings. And if she had not realized she had similar feelings she could be in a relationship still with the crazed Tanya.

What was the worst part of all was that Dana had finally pushed Alice too far. It was only Shane now that the tennis player would allow in her apartment. About fifty times a day Alice would come by or would call. All her pleas would fall on deaf ears. And whenever the hair dresser would try and mention the beautiful writer, Dana would curl up into a ball and cry until she passed out or threw up.

Times were not easy for the fledgling couple. At least, that's what Alice still called them. Her heart had been broken far too many times to so easily give up on the relationship that she had fought so hard for. It was torture not being able to see Dana. It was even more torturous that she could not talk to her or touch her. If only she had just one minute that she could be there for her, she would give her own life to make everything better for her true love.

Bette and Tina were still on the outs though now they were expecting a little girl together. It was hard to watch them be apart. It reminded Alice of how she was feeling being kept so far away from the one woman that she would love until the end of time. It was also why it was hard to be around them either together or when they were separate. Too many reminders of her own life would slap her repeatedly in the face.

Shane had just come from trying to get Dana to get up. Part of her could understand. There had never been a woman that really had meant that much to the young woman. Sherri had been the closest that she had come. But the older woman had chosen the security of her husband and that was just fine with her. Hopefully she would never have to be so close to someone and then end it or have it ended for her. The free and easy lifestyle worked best for her.

But she knew it was the most difficult thing for Alice to go through. The writer had been having trouble with her work and functioning in life. The only thing, Shane knew, that kept her going was the thought that someday Dana would be able to forgive herself and the writer for the events that so tragically had taken place.

"Hey Alice." Shane had snuck up on the writer as she tried to work at one of the tables of The Planet. It made the writer literally jump out of her chair. There were a pair of hopeful eyes staring up at her friend. "Sorry. She's still in bed at the moment." The hair dresser pulled out a chair and sat down. "For once she didn't say she hated herself but I could see it on her face."

"Fuck!" After glaring back at people who weren't too thrilled with her obscenity, Alice turned back toward Shane. There were visible tears in her eyes. "I don't know how much longer I can go on like this. I don't want to give up on her but she's not giving me much choice at this point. What am I supposed to do?"

Shane began playing with the wrapper to the straw that Alice was using. "Now you know I'm the last one to give advice on commitment and relationships and all that but…" Again, a pair of hopeful eyes were staring into her own sparkling ones. "I'd do whatever it took to get the woman I loved back into my life. I'd break the door down." That made Alice stand up so quickly she nearly tipped the table over. "Or I'd see a friend that had a spare set of new keys so handily made up." Without a word, Alice ripped them out of her hand. "You're welcome!" She shouted after the already out of there writer. At that moment, Shane's eyes locked with this amazing blond with kitten green eyes. She smiled and slowly made her way toward her next conquest.

()()()()()()()

Alice had run every red light between The Planet and Dana's house. This time she would not be denied. She practically tripped over every step when she made it the place where her entire world was inside and in such pain. As quietly as she could she turned the key and opened the door. Quickly, she followed the foul stench that was emanating from her girlfriend's bedroom

A stunned Alice saw that Dana was sitting up in bed. Her eyes were staring at the wall, no real connection to the real world could be seen. "Dana, sweetheart." Slowly, she made her way and sat on the edge of the bed. "It's me, Alice." Still, there was no movement on her lover's part. "That's it. I've had enough of this shit."

Quickly, Alice made her way into the bathroom and started a cold bath. She returned to find that Dana had not bothered to move an inch. The writer took one of the tennis player's arms around her shoulder. She had to hold her breath the entire time that she dragged the near dead weight into the bathroom. Without a word and without declothing her girlfriend, she flung her into the ice cold water.

"What the fuck!" Dana was gasping desperately for breath. The sudden rush of cold water had scared and pissed her off at the same time. "Who gives you the right to do this?" The tennis player was already beginning to shiver. "Get me the fuck out of here do you hear me bitch?"

Alice smiled from ear to ear. "Get yourself out or let me clean you up." When Dana remained motionless in the tub, the writer began to undress her and then took careful care to wash every square inch of the woman she loved so much. Even more carefully, she took it upon herself to shave the week's worth of hair growth from various parts of her girlfriend's body. When she was done, she helped her out and back into bed. "At least you smell and look a little better."

"I'm cold." That was all Dana managed to say. But she said it with a bit of a smile on her face. Alice quickly took the hint and got under the covers and snuggled up tightly to her girlfriend. They sat there till it was after dark. Finely, Dana found her voice once again. "You could have at least used warm water."

Alice smiled. It was the first attempt at jokes since the incident. "True. But then we wouldn't be laying her all snuggled up together. Are you sure you are warm enough?" Dana had a wicked smile on her face as she shook her head no. "Well, I can think of a few things that might help both of us get more warmed up."

As Alice was about to sneak under the covers, Dana caught her gently with her hand. "I'm sorry. I should have let you in the past few weeks. And I should have confided in you. It's just Tanya was the second relationship that had been serious for me. I guess I was scared that you too would somehow go away just like Tanya and Laura. I should have known better. I should have known that you'd love me no matter what."

"I'll always be here for you. I helped you when you weren't outed. And I'll be here until I'm old and gray if I have anything to say about it." The two stared into each other's eyes for the longest time. "Now, let's say I get back to getting us both warmed up."


End file.
